Tequila Soda

Tequila soda is an easy cocktail made in 1 minute! Combine tequila and soda water for a bubbly highball drink.

Here’s a refreshing cocktail that’s so easy, you only need 1 minute. Yes, it really is that simple: meet the Tequila Soda! Cousin of the Vodka Soda, this drink pairs tequila and soda water for a refreshing, bubbly highball cocktail. It’s one that’s perfect for sipping on the patio, or to mix up when impromptu visitors drop by. In fact, it’s our pick for summer when you’re looking for something laid back and lazy to sip. But it works for anytime! Here’s more about this easy drink…and how to make it into its even more delicious cousin (ranch water!).

What’s a tequila soda?

The tequila soda is a highball cocktail made with tequila, lime juice, and soda water. Adding water or soda water to liquor is an old concept: it goes back to the Gin Rickey invented in the 1880s! This concept paired gin with soda water and lime juice. There are lots of other cocktails that use this concept, like the Whiskey Highball, Vodka Soda, and more. Even the Wine Spritzer and the Shandy come from this tradition!

How to make this easy cocktail? Grab these ingredients and pour them into a glass — you’re done in 1 minute!

• Tequila (3 ounces): any type of tequila: blanco or reposado
• Soda water (4 to 5 ounces): unsweetened carbonated water, not tonic water (unless you want to make a Tequila Tonic!)
• Lime wedges (2 wedges): from a fresh lime — don’t substitute bottled lime juice!

Related drink: make it Ranch Water!

Want to turn your tequila soda into another trendy cocktail? Make it Ranch Water! Ranch Water is essentially tequila soda with a little more lime. Here’s what to know:

• Ranch water is a tequila highball cocktail that hails from West Texas. Some people say a Texas rancher invented it in the 1960’s. It was a word-of-mouth drink until around 2010, when bartenders in Texas started adding it to their menus.
• How to make Ranch Water? Just increase the lime in this tequila soda! Use 1 ½ ounces fresh lime juice instead of 2 lime wedges (head to this Ranch Water recipe). It makes it even more tangy and intoxicatingly delicious.

Or, looking for tequila and soda?

Were you thinking of mixing tequila and soda instead? Because you can do that too! Soda water is unsweetened carbonated water, and typically used in drinks like this one and the Vodka Soda and Whiskey Soda. But you can also mix tequila and soda! Here are a few options that mix well with tequila:

• Lemon lime soda (or Sprite): Add the same amount of lemon lime soda as the recipe below
• Sparkling lemonade: Add store-bought or homemade sparkling lemonade
• Tonic water: Tonic water is lightly sweetened and mixes well with tequila
• Cola: Try a Tequila and Coke, sometimes called a Batanga

Related drinks: spirit + soda water

Mixing a liquor or alcoholic drink with soda water is an old practice that dates back hundreds of years! This style of drinking is laid back and a nice way to make a low alcohol drink. You don’t even have to measure! Here are a few more cocktails in this family:

• Vodka Tonic Vodka and tonic water (or Vodka and Ginger Ale with ginger ale)
• Gin Rickey or Gin and Soda Gin, lime and soda water
• Gin and Tonic Gin and tonic water
• Tequila and Tonic Tequila and tonic water
• Tequila and Ginger Ale Tequila and ginger ale
• Whiskey Highball Whiskey and soda water or ginger ale
• Campari and Soda Soda water and Campari
• White Wine Spritzer, Red Wine Spritzer or Rosé Spritzer Wine and soda water

When to serve a tequila soda

The tequila soda is easy to make and ultra refreshing. It’s great for serving as a:

• Summer drink
• Afternoon drink
• Before dinner drink (aperitif)
• Cocktail hour drink

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